Game and toy.



V. S. GAINES.

GAME AND TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24,1916.

1,203,526, Paterited O t. 31,1916.

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GAME AND TOY. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.24,'1916.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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VINCENT STE-OTHER GAINES, 0F WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI.

GAME AND roY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented eat. 31, 1916.

Application filed January 24, 1916. Serial No. 73,954.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT S'rnorrrnn GAINES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webster Groves, in the county of St.Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Games and Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to games'and toys of that class in which a movable member such as a lever or walking beam is kept in motion by means of spherical weights, such as balls or marbles, which are supplied to a receptacle carried at one end of the lever or walking beam from an inclined chute or trough in the direction of the lower end of which such spherical weights will gravitate.

One object of the invention is to produce a simple and effective escapement device whereby the delivery of the spherical weights from the trough to the receptacle carried at the end of the lever or walking beam will-be automatically controlled.

A further obj ect'of the inventionis to produce a simple and effective means for releasing or discharging the spherical weights from the receptacle carried by thewalking beam or leverr A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of the frame or device that constitutes. the support for the parts of the device, the component parts being so constructed and assembled as to be capable of being folded in small compass and of being easily and quickly set up for use. a i a I A further object" of the invention is to produce in connection with the base or'supporting memberof the device a game board provided with sockets or pockets in which the spherical weights or marbles will be distributed, constituting a game in which the points scored will be determined by the location ofthe pockets in which the balls or marbles are received.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawingshas been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it sing, however, understand versely through the limbs 18 that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,- but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being setup ready for use. Fig. is a side elevation partly in section, showing the lever 'or walking beam in an intermediate position v in full lines, the 1 Corresponding parts in the several figures are. denoted by-like characters of reference.

The base 15 of the device, which is prefer- I ably of rectangular shape, is provided at the: sides and endsthereof with upstanding flanges 16, 17 constituting a box-like structure in which, when the flanges 16, 17 are made sufficiently high, the component parts of the device may be folded for storage. In

the illustration, however, the flangesare,

relatively low, it being intended'to store the device when folded in a box orv receptacle made of paper or pasteboard and which has not been shown, forming no part of the invention.

Pivoted on the side flanges 16 near one end of the base are the lower ends of the legs or side members ion that the said chute may be folded between the limbs 18. The pivot member 20 may consist of a bolt that extends transand the chute 19 and the end of the chute which is thus pivotally' connected with the A-shaped upright will for convenience, be

near the lower end thereof is a supporting member consisting of a yoke B, the limbs of which are provided at their lowerends with laterally disposed angular extensions 21, the lower extremities of which are adapted to engage sockets 22 on the base 15 When the angular extensions er the yoke 18 of an A-shaped up right at the upper end of which one end ofa trough or chute 19 is pivoted in such fashdesignated as the upper end of the chute. Hingedly connected with the bottom portion of the chute.

are thus connected with the base, the said yoke will serve to support the lower end of the chute 19, the upper end of the chute being supported by the limbs 18 of the A- shaped upright. The angular extensions 21 of the yoke 13 will also be confined in the sockets 22 in such a manner as to prevent the limbs 18 from swinging about the pivots 23 whereby they are connected with the flanges 16.

The chute 19 is provided at its lower end with a flange 24 extending upwardly from the bottom member 25 between the side members 26 of said shoe. The bottom member 25 is also provided adjacent to the flange 24 with a longitudinal ,slot 27. The flange 24 is considerably lower than the side members of the shoe, said flange constituting simply a stop or retaining member, whereby balls or marbles 28 with which the chute may be filled are normally prevented from escaping at the lower end of the chute.

A rod 29 which is supported by the limbs 18 carries a lever or walking beam 30 which extends forwardly between the limbsof the yoke B and which carries at its front end a receptacle which in the present instance has been shown as consisting simply of an eye 31 formed 011 the rod or bar which constitutes the lever. The latter is threaded at its rearward end for the reception of a counterweight 32 whereby the forwardly extending portion of the lever or walking beam will be normally supported in a raised position beneath the low end of the chute 19, the parts being so proportioned that the receptacle 31 will be positioned in advance of the flange. or stop member 24. The lever or walking beam also carries closely adjacent 'to the receptacle 31 an upwardly extending arm 33 having a beveled portion 34 at its upper. end, said arm being adapted to be projected upwardlythrough the slot 27.

Pivotally connected with the flanges 16 of the base near the forward end thereof is a yoke 35 with the bridge piece of which a game board 36 is hingedly connected. The forward end of the game board is adapted to be supported in a relatively raised position by means of the yoke 35, and a relatively low supporting member 37 is provided to support the rearward end of the game board adjacent to the limbs 18 of the A-shaped upright, the game board being thus capable of being supported in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position. The game board should be provided with flanges 38 to prevent the balls or marbles from rolling over the side edges thereof, and said game board is provided with apertures 39 which may be large enough to permit the passage of the balls or marbles 28, or said apertures may be made of smaller diameter than the balls or marbles, in which event they will constitute pockets in which the balls may be seated. The game board has also been shown as being provided with upwardly extending pins 40 constituting defleeting members, the purpose of which would be to deflect the balls so as to obstruct and render difficult the access of theballs to the pockets or apertures. The game board is'also provided with a slightly inclined upwardly extending arm 41 adapted to engage the eye or receptacle'31 at the forward end of the lever or walking beam when said forward end reaches or approaches the downward limit of its movement.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The balls or marbles are placed in the chute 19 where they will be retained by the flange 24 at the lower end of said chute, or by the arm 33 of the lever or walking beam, assuming that the forward end of said lever or beam is in a raised position, in which event the arm 33 will be projected upwardly through the slot 27. It will be understood that this will be the normal position of the lever or walking beam under the influence of the counterweight 32. To start the device the forward end of the lever or walking beam is depressed by the finger of the operator, thus permitting the balls or marbles to roll down so that the lowermost ball will impinge on theflange 24. When the lever 30 is released, its forward end will be forced upward by the counterweight 32, and the arm 33 will now engage the lowermost marble which will be positioned directly above the slot 27 lifting such marble and causing it to roll over the beveled portion 34 of the arm 33 and over the'flange 24 into the receptacle or eye 31. The weight of the ball or marble will now overbalance the counterweight 32, causing the forward end of the lever or walking beam to descend until the arm 41 will enter the eye or receptacle from the bottom thereof, pushing the ball over the top edge of the receptacle and Onto the game board The ball will now 1 gravitate in the direction of the lower end of the game board and will perhaps be seated in or passed through oneof the apertures 39 which may be difierently numbered to determine the number of points scored. In the meantime the forward end of the lever or walking beam will be elevated by the counterweight in the direction of the lower end of the chute, and the operation will be repeated, such repetition taking place until the balls or marbles in the chute have become exhausted,

To fold the dev1ce for storage, the sup portmg member 37 1s removed, thus enabling the yoke 35 with the game board 36 to be folded directly upon the base between the side flanges 16. The angular extensions of the supportmg yoke B are then-removed from the sockets 22; the cross bar or rod 29 u carrying the lever or walking beam '30 is detached from the limbs 18, thus permitting the'lever or walkingbeam to be separated from the yoke 13, the latter being folded lengthwise of the chute 19, and the chute being then folded between the limbs 18 of the A-shaped upright, said limbs being then folded down between the side flanges 16 of the base. The lever or walking beam and the supporting member 37 may be laid lengthwise on top of or adjacent to the limbs 18. The parts being thus compactly folded may be stored in a box or receptacle, or a box lid may be applied to the flanges 16, 17 rising from the base. 7

It will be seen that Ihave produced a very simple, unique and amusing toy and game which may be manufactured at a small expense and which, being in the nature of a movable or mechanical toy, will prove entertaining and instructive.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new, is

1. In a device of the class described, a chute, means for supporting the chute in an inclined position, and a walking beam supported tiltably beneath the chute, said walking beam having a counterweight at its rearward end, whereby its forward end will be normally carried in the direction of the low end of the chute, said walking beam being equipped with a receptacle and with means for transferring an object from the chute to said receptacle.

2. In a device of the class described, a chute, means for supporting the chute in an inclined position, and a walking beam supported tiltably beneath the chute, said walking beam having a counterweight at its rearward end, whereby its'forward end will be normally carried in the direction of the low end of the chute, said chute having at its low end an obstructing flange and a longitudinal slot, and said walking beam having at its forward end an eye constituting a receptacle, and an arm adapted to be projected upwardly through the slot in the bottom of the chute, said arm having a beveled portion.

3. In a device of the class described, a

' chute, means for supporting the chute in an inclined position, and a walking beam supported tiltably beneath the chute, said walking beam having a counterweight at its rearward end, whereby its forward end will be normally carried in the direction of the low end of the chute, said chute having at its low end an obstructing flange and a longitudinal slot, and said walking beam having at its forward end an eye constituting a receptacle, and an arm adapted to be projected upwardly through the slot in the bottom of the chute, said arm having a beveled portion, in combination with a push member consisting of an arm supported beneath the forward end of the walking beam and adapted for engagement with the eye or receptacle.

' 4. In a deviceof theclass described; a chute supported in an inclined position and adapted to contain a number of spherical weights such as marbles, said chute having at its low end an obstructing flange and a longitudinal slot, in combination with a walking beam tiltingly supported below the chute and having at one end a counterweight and at the other end an eye constituting a receptacle, an arm carried by the walking beam and adapted to be projected upwardly through the slot in the trough to push a mar-" ble over the stopfmember at the low end of the trough and into the receptacle carried by the walking beam, and means for discharging the marble from the receptacle when the forward endof the'walking beam reaches the downward limit of its movement. 5. In a devlce of the class described, a

. chute supported'in an inclined position and adapted to containa number of spherical weights such as marbles, said chute having at its low end an obstructing flange and a longitudinal slot, incombination with a walking beam tiltingly supported below the chute and having at one end a counterweight and at the other end an eye constituting a receptacle, an arm carried by the walking beam and adapted to be projected upwardly through the slot in the trough to push a marble over the stop member at the low end of the trough and into the receptacle carried .by the walking beam, and means for discharging the marble' from the receptacle when the forward end of the walking beam reaches the downward limit of its movement, an inclined game board supported to receive a marble thus discharged, said game board having pockets in which the marble may be received.

base member having upstanding flanges, an A-shaped upright having limbs pivotallyconnected with said flanges, a chute pivotally connected with the A-shaped upright and tudinal slot, the yoke being adapted to be folded lengthwise of the chute and the limbs of the A-shaped upright being adapted to be folded between theupstanding flanges of thepbase.

c 7. Ina device of" the class described, a base member having upstanding flanges, an A-shaped upright having limbs pivotally connected with said flanges, a chute pivotally 105 6. In a device of the class described, a

connected with the A-shaped upright and adapted tobe folded between the limbs thereof, a yoke hingedly connected with the chute, sockets on the base to receive portions of the limbs of said yoke, a walking beam detachably supported by the A-shaped upright and havingat one end an eye constituting a receptacle and at the other end a counterweight, said lever having an upwardly extending arm provided with a beveled portionand said chute having at its low end an upstanding flange and a longitudinal slot, the yoke being adapted to be folded lengthwise of the chute and the limbs of the A shaped upright being adapted to be folded between the upstanding flanges of the base, in combination with a game board extending between the limbs of the yoke, and means for supporting said game board in an inclined position, said game board being provided with an upstanding arm adapted to engage the eye of the walking beam when the parts are assembled for use.-

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VINCENT STROTHER GAINES. Witnesses C. E. KING, J. J. LEWIS..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the lcommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

